


Of the Night Sky to Infinity

by EffieAgo



Series: Clan Djarin [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: A little, Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bittersweet, Gen, Loss, Mando'a, Minor Character Death, Parent-Child Relationship, Single Parents, but mostly hopeful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:54:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22735960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EffieAgo/pseuds/EffieAgo
Summary: Sequel to Legacies.Din, Grix and the baby remember those they've lost.
Relationships: Baby Yoda & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV) & Original Character(s), The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV) & Original Character(s)
Series: Clan Djarin [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1602976
Comments: 25
Kudos: 183





	Of the Night Sky to Infinity

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from the Bright Eyes song "Easy/Lucky/Free"

The Mandalorian walked slowly down the ship’s corridor, careful not to wake the child draped over his shoulder. He certainly hadn’t expected the day to end with a foundling in his custody. The little boy with dark hair and warm brown eyes had been remarkably calm as they flew away from the battle, on the shuttle flight up to the ship and then in the canteen surrounded by soldiers. He’d answered questions when asked and eaten rations without complaint. The quietness was to be expected, of course, after the trauma of losing his parents. Despite all that, the child had a determined spark that the Mandalorian found impossible to ignore. Most of the kid's questions had been about the ship they were on and the weapons he was seeing around him. He particularly seemed to like the flame thrower on the Mandalorian's vambrace, which he got to see an up close demonstration of when a unit of droids attacked them as they were about to get on the shuttle. The fighting didn't seem to faze the boy. This kid would be a fine warrior one day. He just knew it.

The boy would be safe in the ship’s barracks while the Mandalorian returned to the battle. Hopefully it would wrap up soon and he could get back to his young charge. He’d already made up his mind. The boy would grow up with his comrades’ kids and the other foundlings, but he wouldn’t have to remain an orphan. Most of the Mandalorian’s buddies had spouses and/or children and they often teased him about never having settled down. Even before the war started. Despite what they seemed to believe; it wasn’t that he didn’t want a family. It had simply never felt like the right time. Until now.

The child would probably benefit from a little time to rest and adjust some. They’d have a conversation about it when he got back and then he’d make it official.

_many years later_

Din looked down at the baby asleep in his arms and then carefully placed him in the pram that was currently strapped into one of the cockpit’s passenger seats.

He sat down in the pilot’s chair. He’d seen the old man dozing on the bunk downstairs, which meant Din was the only one awake on the _Razor Crest_ , so he sat for a while and looked at the stretched-out stars flying past them. He said the words, the first words he was ever taught in Mando’a. Then he recited the names of his fallen loved ones, saying each one slowly and picturing their faces as he did so. Then he got to the final name, which didn’t have a face to go with it, just a helmet. Just as the words were out of his mouth, he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He turned to see Grix standing there with a flask in one hand and a sad half-smile on his face.

“Sorry to disturb you.”

“You didn’t. I just came up here to put the kid to bed.”

The old man nodded and then settled in the unoccupied passenger seat. “I don’t think I’ve heard you mention that name before. Someone you trained with?”

Din swiveled around to face the older Mandalorian. “No, he was…” He struggled to find the words. They may have made peace with each other’s pasts, but that didn’t mean it was suddenly easy to talk about. “He was the one who saved me when I was a boy. When my parents died. The one who shot the droid about to kill me and then flew me to safety.”

“I see,” Grix said, his face carefully neutral. “I guess he was a big part of your life with— with the Mandalorians who rescued you,” he finished, tactfully.

Din shook his head. “No, actually. He brought me to safety and answered all my questions. Helped keep me calm, despite everything that happened. Then he went back to the fight and I never saw him again.”

“He didn’t make it, then?”

“No, and I still don’t know how exactly he died. Didn’t want to ask, at the time.”

Grix kept his eyes locked on Din. “I guess it goes without saying that the man and I would’ve had our differences.”

Din refrained from pointing out how much of an understatement that was. “Yeah.”

“Yet we have something pretty big in common. He saved you and I’ll always be grateful for that,” Grix said as he raised his flask toward the vastness of space, as if for a toast. “Cheers, _vod_.” It was an odd gesture, something an _aruetii_ might do. The old man must have picked it up somewhere, but Din decided it was better not to ask.

 _“Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la,”_ Din said. _Not gone_ , the traditional tribute went, _merely marching far away._

“Right, exactly.” Grix said as he took a drink. There was a long pause before the old man spoke again. “ _Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum.”_

Din stared. It was the first time he’d heard those words out of Grix’s mouth. He hadn’t wanted to pry. They didn’t have the same sort of relationship to their culture and religion, after all. But then the other Mandalorian was reciting his own list of names. Many of them were familiar to Din, but not all, and Grix added commentary as he went.

Mafalda. His cousin on his mother’s side who'd nearly drowned him in a lake when they were eight. “It was an accident. Supposedly.”

Tesan, his cousin’s wife. "Hilarious and an absolute terror with a _kad_."

Kivuc Bral, a friend from his village who went with him on his first campaign. “And what a pair of arrogant little shits we were. I’m shocked the others didn’t shove us out an airlock.”

His wife Nesrine. “I know I told you she used to be a mercenary. Did I mention she was few years older than me? Well, we met in a cantina and she flirted with me as an excuse to get on my ship. Then she sabotaged the hyperdrive because she thought I was a competitor. I wasn’t, but after that I _was_ in love.” He took another drink. “She would’ve adored you. Not to mention the baby. She always did want grandchildren.”

On it went, until he finally finished, and then they simply sat without speaking for a while. Suddenly, there was a soft thud and they turned to see the child waddling toward his father who then reached down and picked him up.

“He’s 50 years old,” Grix said, thoughtfully. “He must’ve lost people, even if he doesn’t remember all of them.”

Din looked down at the child, who was sucking on one of his hands and blinking his eyes sleepily. “ _Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum._ It’s what we say to keep those we’ve lost alive in our memories,” he said softly. The big eyes opened slightly wider. “You might not understand now, but you will one day.” Din glanced over to Grix who was looking at him with an open display of pride. It was too much, so he looked away. Luckily, the baby distracted him by reaching out for his favorite lever knob. Din gave it to him, and then turned back to the old man. “You know, I have no way of knowing if he even would’ve wanted to be involved in my life, if he hadn’t died when he did. I mean, I didn’t even know his name until after he was killed.”

Grix looked confused for a moment. “You mean your rescuer?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me this, son. Do you trust your gut feelings? Like when you’re in battle or on a job.”

Din frowned. “Of course, all fighters have to if they want to survive.”

“Right, so what does your gut tell you about it?”

Din didn’t respond right away. Instead, he handed the kid over to his grandfather, who took him onto his lap with a smile.

Then the younger Mandalorian turned back to the ship’s controls. “Thanks, Buir,” he said, barely audible.

“Anytime, kid.” And they continued to glide through hyperspace in a comfortable silence, punctuated only by the hums of the ship’s engines and the baby’s occasional giggles and coos.

**Author's Note:**

> vod - brother, sister, sibling
> 
> aruetii - foreigner, outsider
> 
> Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la - (tribute to a fallen comrade) Not gone, merely marching far away
> 
> Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum - (remembrance of the dead) I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal
> 
> Kad - sword
> 
> Buir - mother, father, parent


End file.
